PUMA For Lifehttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/
Politics of the Mountain PUMASen-USFri, 23 Apr 2010 10:53:55 -0400http://www.typepad.com/http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationProud to be a Teabaggerhttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/04/proud-to-be-a-teabagger.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/04/proud-to-be-a-teabagger.htmlI thought this was funny....<P><font face=Verdana>I thought this was funny....</font></P>
<P><font face=Verdana></font>&nbsp;</P>
<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8zsUNnFVMsE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8zsUNnFVMsE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Kathy SkerlFri, 23 Apr 2010 10:53:55 -0400Sedona Vision Questhttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/sedona-vision-quest.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/sedona-vision-quest.htmlI’m taking off for a bit; be back soon. Hope you enjoy viewing the red rocks of Sedona. That’s where I am heading.<p><font face="Verdana">I’m taking off for a bit; be back soon.&#0160; Hope you enjoy viewing the red rocks of Sedona. That’s where I am heading.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana"></font>&#0160;</p>
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lHMrzfOCceY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lHMrzfOCceY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlWed, 24 Mar 2010 20:22:23 -0400Healthy without Health Insurancehttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/healthy-without-health-insurance.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/healthy-without-health-insurance.htmlI am incensed about the forced purchasing of health insurance. I have not had health insurance In 23 years and I am healthier than everyone I know who has this ridiculous drug-dependency program. I am sorry, but people with health...<p><font face="Verdana">I am incensed about the forced purchasing of health insurance. I have not had health insurance In 23 years and I am healthier than everyone I know who has this ridiculous drug-dependency program.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">I am sorry, but people with health insurance do drugs. I am not on any drugs. I have not had any procedures.&#0160; I use natural remedies: herbs, vitamins, acupuncture, oriental medicine, naturopaths, none of which are covered by this program.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Have you thought about the fact that there has not been a word of protest from the pharmaceutical companies or insurance companies about this bill? Gee…I wonder why?&#0160; Couldn’t be because everyone is going to be required to buy a policy from private insurance companies, could it?&#0160; Hey, that’s fascism.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">I just emailed my state attorney general and asked them to join in on the lawsuit to block this fascist policy. I encourage you all to do the same.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">From the <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/028416_health_care_reform_legislation.html">NaturalNews</a>: </font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">Today the medical mafia struck another devastating blow to the health and freedom of all Americans. With the support of an inarguably corrupt Congress that has simply abandoned the real needs of the American people, the sick-care industry has locked in a high-profit scheme of disease and monopoly-priced pharmaceuticals in a nation that can ill afford either one.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">And this Pharma-funded betrayal, it turns out, was led by the Democrats. Passed on a 219-212 vote that was only accomplished thanks to closed-door, last-minute secret meetings among the last holdouts, this new legislation puts America under the stranglehold of the medical mafia while doing absolutely nothing to address real health care reform. There is no mention in the bill, for example, of vitamin D for preventing cancer, or orthomolecular medicine for preventing degenerative disease. There&#39;s not even a word about protecting health freedom or ending the century of oppression that has been waged against naturopathic practitioners by the AMA, FDA and FTC.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana"></font></span>&#0160;</p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">The new legislation does, however, lock in billions of dollars in monopoly profits for the pharmaceutical companies -- the same companies who spent millions of dollars pushing for its passage and who depend on the continuation of sickness and disease for their future profits.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">There&#39;s only one problem with this health care reform bill: It doesn&#39;t reform health care. It has almost nothing to do with health care at all, in fact: It&#39;s really more of an effort to expand a broken sick-care system. When faced with the problem that our sick-care system doesn&#39;t work, Congress somehow decided that fixing the problem merely involved expanding the failures to include everyone!</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">And you don&#39;t even get a choice in the matter, either. All Americans are now required to pay into a sick-care system of monopolized, pharmaceutical medicine even if they reject that failed system of medicine. So the healthy people who actually take responsibility for their health are financially penalized and forced to subsidize profits for drug companies!</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"></span>&#0160;</p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">These folks in the video are in their 40&#39;s which is when I stopped having health insurance. I am now 20 years older than them and I stand by their statements.&#0160;Once, when I had health insurance, I had to have a biopsy on a blood blister. And you ask why health care is so expensive.&#0160;</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">As they say in New Hampshire: Give me liberty, or give me death. And that&#39;s pretty literal in this case.</font></p>
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DWuX2s7h55A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DWuX2s7h55A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlMon, 22 Mar 2010 20:04:42 -0400Weekend Meditation: Compassionhttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-compassion.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-compassion.htmlIn 2007, Mo Cheeks, who was the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, helped a young girl through what could have been the most embarrassing day of her life. Natalie Gilbert was given the honor of singing the national anthem...<p><font face="Verdana">In 2007, <a href="http://www.blueoregon.com/2005/03/mo_cheeks_and_n.html">Mo Cheeks</a>, who was the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, helped a young girl through what could have been the most embarrassing day of her life.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Natalie Gilbert was given the honor of singing the national anthem for an NBA game. But in forgetting the words, much to her embarrassment, she unintentionally elicited help from one of the coaches -- Mo Cheeks – and, eventually, much of the crowd, which joined in a rousing rendition of the anthem.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">I was really touched by this video.&#0160; This is a truly spontaneous act of kindness. May we bow to the Buddha within this man.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana"></font>&#0160;</p>
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZXnT84Eu-oA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZXnT84Eu-oA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlSat, 20 Mar 2010 20:50:15 -0400Obama Tells Dems: Support Obamacare or I won’t Campaign for You. Is this a Threat or a Promise?https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/obama-tells-dems-support-obamacare-or-i-wont-campaign-for-you-is-this-a-threat-or-a-promise.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/obama-tells-dems-support-obamacare-or-i-wont-campaign-for-you-is-this-a-threat-or-a-promise.htmlI had to laugh when I read this article that said Obama threatened wavering Dems who might not support Obamacare. The president will refuse to make fund-raising visits during November elections to any district whose representative has not backed the...<p><font face="Verdana">I had to laugh when I read this <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/7450237/Barack-Obama-threatens-to-withdraw-support-from-wavering-Democrats.html">article </a>that said Obama threatened wavering Dems who might not support Obamacare.&#0160; </font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">The president will refuse to make fund-raising visits during November elections to any district whose representative has not backed the bill.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">Mr Obama&#39;s threat came as the year-long debate over his signature domestic policy entered its final week.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">Mr Obama is personally telephoning congressmen who are still on the fence this week, in between several personal appearances devoted toward swinging public opinion. </font></span></p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">Considering his plummeting favorability ratings and his success rate, so far, campaigning for Dem candidates (think Virginia and New Jersey governorship races), this might actually push a few more congress people into the No category.<br /></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><font face="Verdana"><a href="http://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a9450f1a970b-pi" style="DISPLAY: inline"><img alt="Steamed obama" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a9450f1a970b " src="https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a9450f1a970b-800wi" title="Steamed obama" /></a></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center">&#0160;<span style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Obama steamed over wavering Dems<br /></span></p> Kathy SkerlTue, 16 Mar 2010 20:13:22 -0400Weekend Meditation: A Stroke of Insighthttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-a-stroke-of-insight.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-a-stroke-of-insight.htmlThis week’s meditation takes the form of a talk given by Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard trained brain scientist. One morning in 1996, a blood vessel in Taylor’s brain exploded. Within moments, her left lobe--the source of ego, analysis, judgment...<p><font face="Verdana">This week’s meditation takes the form of a talk given by <a href="http://drjilltaylor.com/">Jill Bolte Taylor</a>, a Harvard trained brain scientist.&#0160; One morning in 1996, a blood vessel in Taylor’s brain exploded. Within moments, her left lobe--the source of ego, analysis, judgment and context--began to fail her. And much to her shock, she felt great. She&#39;d been given a ringside seat to her own stroke and a host of powerful insights as a result.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Taylor describes the differences between our left and right brain and her experiences of oneness.&#0160; As she concludes, &quot;Nirvana exists right now.&quot;</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">After watching the video, you might be interested in reading Taylor’s book, <a href="http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/">“My Stroke of Insight”.</a>&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Enjoy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">&#0160;</font></p>
<p>
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UyyjU8fzEYU&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UyyjU8fzEYU&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlFri, 12 Mar 2010 19:38:55 -0500Update on Amanda Knox: Jury Creates Alternate Reality to Counter Prosecutor’s Sex Fantasy, Donald Trump Joins Call for Boycotthttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/update-on-amanda-knox-jury-creates-alternate-reality-to-counter-prosecutors-sex-fantasy-donald-trump.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/update-on-amanda-knox-jury-creates-alternate-reality-to-counter-prosecutors-sex-fantasy-donald-trump.htmlThe Italian jury in the Amanda Knox murder trial just released its reasons for finding Knox guilty of the murder of her roommate in Perugia, Italy. This whole so-called trial and outrageous conviction of an innocent American college student just...<p><font face="Verdana">The Italian jury in the Amanda Knox murder trial just <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/04/amanda.knox.jurors/index.html?iref=allsearch">released </a>its reasons for finding Knox guilty of the murder of her roommate in Perugia, Italy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">This whole so-called trial and outrageous conviction of an innocent American college student just gets more and more ridiculous. Have you ever heard of a jury creating its own fictional account of what happened at a murder scene, an account that contradicts the prosecution’s sadistic sex fantasy?&#0160; Have you ever heard of a jury using their self-created fantasy as a rationalization for convicting the accused and giving her 26 years in prison?&#0160; This is beyond belief.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">To start out:</font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">The 427-page report, written by Judge Giancarlo Massei and Assistant Judge Beatrice Cristiani, explains the reasons behind jurors&#39; determination in December that Knox was guilty in the November 2007 stabbing death of exchange student Kercher while the two roomed together in Perugia, Italy.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">The report blames &quot;random contingencies&quot; and &quot;the combination of various factors&quot; for Kercher&#39;s death.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">&quot;<strong>It is a crime that happened ... without any planning, without any animosity or rancorous feeling against the victim </strong>that in some way could be seen [as] a preparation and predisposition to the crime,&quot; it said.</font></span></p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">Gee, that’s news to the prosecution, because during the trial:</font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6">…prosecutors argued Knox was <strong>a resentful American so angry with her British roommate that she exacted revenge</strong> during a twisted sex misadventure game at the students&#39; home. They said Knox directed Sollecito and Guede to hold Kercher down as Knox played with a knife before killing her.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">Knox’s defense claimed that Guede acted alone and Knox was not home during the attack.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Apparently, there were some creative minds on the jury because they rejected both the prosecution and defense claims and formed their own version of the incident.&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">You have to read this because I have never in my life heard of a jury just create their own crime theory and then fill it in with a bunch of gory details, none of which have any basis in reality.&#0160; (Is everyone in Italy a sexual pervert?):</font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">They found Guede the main instigator -- not Knox, as prosecutors hypothesized.<br />The jurors believed that Guede went into Kercher&#39;s room and attempted to have sexual contact with her, but Kercher pushed him away. Knox and Sollecito then came into the room and attempted to help Guede have &quot;his way&quot; with Kercher, the report said. Sollecito held Kercher while Guede fondled her, the report said, but things spiraled out of control.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">Sollecito poked Kercher with a knife, inflicting one wound measured at 4 cm (1.5 inches), and Knox poked her with a bigger knife after she screamed, inflicting a larger 8-cm (3-inch) wound, jurors found.</font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">&quot;The most plausible hypothesis is that Rudy decided by himself to enter Meredith&#39;s room,&quot; the report said. &quot;The reaction and refusal of the girl must have been heard by Amanda and Raffaele, who actually were probably disturbed and intervened, given the unfolding of events. They backed Rudy, whom they allowed to enter the house&quot; and ultimately became Kercher&#39;s killers because of events that followed, according to the judges.</font></span></p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">I ask you, how can this trial be taken seriously?&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">I sure wish the Hillary Clinton would intervene in this travesty of justice and bring Amanda Knox home.&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Click <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/amanda-knox-italy-case-file-opened-10018149">here </a>for a video from ABC news which includes an interview with Amanda’s parents.&#0160;</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">I just discovered that I am not the only one calling for a boycott of Italy until Amanda Knox is freed.&#0160; <a href="http://www.trumpuniversity.com/blog/post/2009/12/free-amanda-knox.cfm">Donald Trump</a> has also called for a boycott.&#0160; On his blog, Trump writes:</font></p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6">There is a disturbing injustice surrounding the Amanda Knox case and I think we should boycott Italy until they do the right thing and free Amanda.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6">Knox was interrogated for over 50 hours in a five day period, and Italian law states that a suspect cannot be interrogated without a lawyer. During part of this interrogation, Amanda Knox did not have a lawyer.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6">When she returned to prison after her conviction, her fellow prisoners cried in disbelief because they knew she was innocent. They should put the prosecutor in jail, not Amanda Knox. I have little doubt, based on what I saw, that he abused his power and in fact he is already under investigation for abuse of power in an unrelated case. (I would bet, based on what I saw during Amanda’s trial, that he is guilty.) Why don’t they put him in her jail cell and let her go.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6">What’s really going on over there? Nothing has been made clear -- except that Amanda Knox is now in an Italian prison for perhaps her whole life. Is that the easy solution? One solution is to boycott Italy until they decide to get serious and let her go</span></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS"><strong><font face="Verdana">Boycott Italy! Free Amanda Knox!<br /></font></strong></span></p>Kathy SkerlMon, 08 Mar 2010 20:10:00 -0500Weekend Meditation: The Prayer with Celine Dion and Andrea Bocellihttps://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-the-prayer-with-celine-dion-and-andrea-bocelli.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/03/weekend-meditation-the-prayer-with-celine-dion-and-andrea-bocelli.htmlI like this beautiful video featuring the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and French Canadian pop singer Celine Dion. This award-winning song touches on both love and faith, providing is with an opportunity for meditation and introspection. Have a beautiful weekend....<p><font face="Verdana">I like this beautiful video featuring the Italian tenor <a href="http://www.andreabocelli.com/">Andrea Bocelli</a> and French Canadian pop singer <a href="http://www.facebook.com/celinedion?v=info">Celine Dion</a>.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">This award-winning song touches on both love and faith, providing is with an opportunity for meditation and introspection.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Have a beautiful weekend. Peace.<br /></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center">
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NdS6TF2UXcM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NdS6TF2UXcM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlFri, 05 Mar 2010 17:44:40 -0500If you talk about US history, you are encouraging domestic terrorism, are a racist, and a homophobe: US citizens afraid of USA history?https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/02/if-you-talk-about-us-history-you-are-encouraging-domestic-terrorism-are-a-racist-and-a-homophobe-us-citizens-afraid-of-us.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/02/if-you-talk-about-us-history-you-are-encouraging-domestic-terrorism-are-a-racist-and-a-homophobe-us-citizens-afraid-of-us.htmlThe other day the host of “Take a Stand”, a local talk show here in Western NC, spent three hours talking about the year 1774 in US history. The host, Matt Mittan, and Dr. William Forstchen, a history professor at...<p><font face="Verdana">The other day the host of “<a href="http://takeastandshow.com/main.html">Take a Stand</a>”, a local talk show here in Western NC, spent three hours talking about the year 1774 in US history.&#0160; The host, Matt Mittan, and <a href="http://www.onesecondafter.com/">Dr. William Forstchen</a>, a history professor at Montreat College and author of “One Second After”, spent three hours discussing the goings on in 1774 and how that compared to what is going on in the US today.&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">It was in September of 1774 that the first <a href="http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h650.html">Continental Congress</a> was held; this was the first coming together of the&#0160; individual colonies into the beginnings of a unified whole.</font></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8e33ed9970b-pi" style="DISPLAY: inline"><img alt="Continental congress" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8e33ed9970b " src="https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8e33ed9970b-800wi" title="Continental congress" /></a></p>
<p> <br /> </p>
<blockquote dir="ltr">
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">&quot;The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia&#39;s Carpenters Hall on September 5, 1774. The idea of such a meeting was advanced a year earlier by Benjamin Franklin, but failed to gain much support until after the Port of Boston was closed in response to the Boston Tea Party. </font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">Twelve of the 13 colonies sent delegates. Georgia decided against roiling the waters; they were facing attacks from the restive Creek on their borders and desperately needed the support of regular British soldiers. </font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet MS; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><font face="Verdana">The Congress, which continued in session until late October, did not advocate independence; it sought rather to right the wrongs that had been inflicted on the colonies and hoped that a unified voice would gain them a hearing in London.&quot;</font></span></p></blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana">Mittan thought the show might be boring to most people. Well, he sure got a shock when he started reading his email immediately after the broadcast.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Someone named John thought he was encouraging domestic terrorism.&#0160; Sarah thought he should be fired because he was encouraging those “teabaggers” to do things like fly planes into buildings and another listener equated his discussion on the year 1774 with being a racist and homophobe. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Wow! There are people living here who are afraid of the history of their own country.&#0160; Worse than afraid; they consider it seditious to talk about it. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">This explains why the <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584758,00.html">NC Department of Education</a> wants to consider a proposal to change the history curriculum in NC public schools. The proposed change is to start teaching US history after the civil war.&#0160; I guess our kids don’t need to know about our forefathers and the American Revolution; that might be too scary for them and give them wild-eyed ideas that could lead them to become domestic terrorists, racists, and homophobes.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">There is something about citizens speaking up for themselves and taking responsibility for their own lives that upsets progressives in this country.&#0160; They want and need absolute control over everything including their neighbors’ lives. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">It doesn’t help that they get all of their news from MSNBC where they are told that anyone who does not agree with them is dangerous. They are afraid of their fellow citizens because the media and even some politicians (read Nancy Pelosi) are telling them that tea party participants are racists, terrorists, and potentially violent (and they must be homophobic also; fits the image). </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Mittan is an Independent who tends to Libertarian beliefs.&#0160; He supports the state sovereignty movement and the tea party participants.&#0160; But, he is not someone who fits into a cookie-cutter mold. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">Recently, he spoke out in favor of the City of Asheville giving health insurance benefits to gay couples.&#0160; I think this led to more progressives listening to his program; they didn’t know that he’s a strong constitutionalist and patriot. When they tuned in to his program last Thursday, they had their preconceived notions blown out of the water. Their brains had a meltdown so they responded with threats, name-calling, and hate mail.&#0160; Apparently, that is the progressive way these days.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">If you would like to hear the show, click <a href="http://wwnc.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=TakeAStand.xml">here</a>.&#0160; Mittan has it up on his website.&#0160; That’s the Thursday, February 25th broadcast.&#0160; If you like the show drop him a line to thank him for all of his hard work; if you don’t, please no hate mail and if you don’t live in NC, please don’t move here.&#0160; We like our independent-minded neighbors who aren’t afraid of their own country’s history.</font></p>Kathy SkerlSun, 28 Feb 2010 21:06:10 -0500Canadian “Bad Girls” Hockey Team: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!!https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/02/canadian-bad-girls-hockey-team-girls-just-wanna-have-fun.html
https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/puma_for_life/2010/02/canadian-bad-girls-hockey-team-girls-just-wanna-have-fun.htmlCongratulations to the Canadian women’s hockey team in their gold medal winning 2/0 victory over the USA team. And, you know what, your post-game victory celebration made me laugh!! I know I know, it is supposed to be very bad...<p><font face="Verdana">Congratulations to the Canadian women’s hockey team in their gold medal winning 2/0 <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124095857">victory</a> over the USA team.&#0160; </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">And, you know what, your post-game victory celebration made me laugh!!&#0160; I know I know, it is supposed to be very bad that you smoked cigars and drank champagne and, gasp, beer on the ice, but I think it is just great. </font></p>
<p><a href="http://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8d99dd7970b-pi" style="DISPLAY: inline"><img alt="Canadian girls" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8d99dd7970b image-full " src="https://helpmejoseph.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c8ed053ef0120a8d99dd7970b-800wi" title="Canadian girls" /></a>&#0160;<br /><font face="Verdana">Watching the post-game celebration slide show made me laugh and feel good; for you, for young women, and for me.&#0160; It made my day.&#0160; Even <a href="http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html">Rush Limbaugh</a> was impressed; he thought&#0160;you must be &quot;real&quot; women off the ice. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">For those who may not have seen the post-game slide show, just click <a ref="http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/slideshow/ss.124;_ylt=Ar_PM2CKo.AscemELmuSGm9otLV_#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cap%3A20050301%3Aoly%2Cphoto%2Colywh22802260340.vancouver_olympics_ice_hockey_olywh228%2C124%3A2">here</a>. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana">You go girls! ‘Cause we all know that girls just wanna have fun.</font></p>
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HId2jQBEbYY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" /></object></p>Kathy SkerlFri, 26 Feb 2010 17:10:14 -0500